1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to new sequestrant type builder compounds which do not contain phosphorus and more specifically to detergent compositions containing these new builder compounds. The invention also relates to a novel process for preparing the rather complex compounds by a simple reaction. The sequestrant type builder compounds of the present invention can be generally represented as follows: ##EQU2## wherein R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of H, an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and a COOM group; n is zero or 1; when n is 1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are selected from the group consisting of H, CH.sub.3 and CH.sub.2 COOM; when n is zero a double bond is present between C' and C"; X is COOM, OSO.sub.3 M or SO.sub.3 M: a is zero, 1 or 2; b is zero or 1; Z is selected from the group consisting of O, S, NH, NR.sub.4 wherein R.sub.4 is an alkyl group or hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms provided that when Z is O, a must be zero, X must be COOM and R.sub.1 cannot be H when R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are both H and b is zero; M is selected from the group consisting of H, alkali metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium cations.